


'-that Terrible Vase'

by RGmolpus



Category: Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold
Genre: Gen, Shopping
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-04
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 21:53:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29831436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RGmolpus/pseuds/RGmolpus
Summary: Gregor arranges a date with Laisa.
Relationships: Gregor Vorbarra/Laisa Toscane Vorbarra
Comments: 12
Kudos: 19





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is early in their relationship; the engagement has been announced, but the Wedding itself is several months away. Lady alys is just starting to paddle like mad....

The Comconsole gave off it's usual sound.

"Hello?"

"Laisa, how are you tonight?"

Laisa Toscane wasn't expecting Gregor Vorbarra to ever call her from an anonymous number. She had every number from the Residence set for a unique sound; so she'd expect Gregor - or Lady Alys - to be on the other end.

"Uh - I'm doing well; just the normal things at the Trade Delegation. It's nice to hear you again."

"Well, Are you busy tonight? Any functions, or things you've got planned?"

When the love of your life calls, Emperor or not, your schedule is always empty...

"No, nothing apart from doing laundry and dishes. How I make so many dirty dishes, when I seem never to eat or cook at home astounds me."

"So, Could I ask you out for a date tonight? I know this is no warning at all, but I've arranged free time for something, and I'd like to have you along, if you're willing."

"Oh, certainly! An evening out with you or time spent watching the laundry unit? Of course, Gregor. I'll need to get dressed, but that'll take a minute."

"Good. This is kind of a secret, so you'll need to do this. Head down to the parking garage under your building, the second floor down. You'll see a red speeder, like Ivan's. You'll know the driver. 

Get in, wear a scarf over your face, and he'll drive you to meet me."

"Ivan'll be driving me?"

"No, not Ivan. I won't expose you to that, my dear. Not -ever-." 

(Sigh, sigil of heart melting, sigh)

"OK, red speeder, second floor of my building garage. Do I need to wear anything special?"

"Ah, No. No ball gown or fancy dress. Business dress will be fine. I'm in one of my usual blue suits."

"Right, casual dress, a red speeder in the basement parking garage, I'll know the driver. see you soon, Love."

"Love you to, Darling. See you in about thirty. Love you."

====================

Laisa knew being the fiance of the Emperor Of Barrayar was a challenge; his day was usually divided into five minute intervals; multiple weeks in advance. He had to fight -constantly- with his secretaries to have any time for himself; what time was left after he was Emperor was taken by his other hat as Count of the most populated - and busy - district on the planet. Finding time to be with with his girlfriend - now finance - was a maddening effort; spontaneity wasn't a concept understood by the office staff - or Impsec. General Allegre's men (and now a few women) twitched alarmingly when Gregor didn't act in a pre-planned way; He'd had to stare down several guards who tried to prevent him form holding her hand - not to mention the panic when she gave him a hug!

No, whatever Gregor was doing tonight was very special - impossibly special.

What to wear...?

She finally settled on a simple outfit; silk blouse, high on the calf skirt, wide belt, stockings, low heel court shoes, a small hat - with a veil to pull across her face, and a long scarf around her neck. The scarf could wrap across her face, as a simple disguise. Everything in a demure, soft shade of blue; with some silver highlights. She had a tufted lambswool semi-coat, to compliment the skirt; add a small handbag, for her compact, communicator, and a petite stunner (handed her by General Allegre himself!), and she was done.

Down to the lobby, to let the doorman she would be out for the evening - he wasn't really a doorman, according to the Impsec payroll, but he could act the part.

Then, down the lift to the parking garage, floor two.

The speeder was easy to spot, being a shade of red almost reaching to pink. The driver was one of Gregor's Armsmen - Huber - who smiled and tipped his cap (an unusual item, normally), as she slid in.

"Evenin' M'lady. Once you've fastened your belt, and have your scarf arranged, we'll be off."

Laisa didn't know much about the Armsmen, individually, but she did know all of them had been through very rigorous driver training - to be prepared to evade any emergencies. The little speeder - apparently a little hover car, wasn't; - looking at the instrument panel it had a full compliment of instruments for a flyer - and the radio and radar were not stock. The seat belt was decidedly strong; it fastened with an emphatic 'snap'. She wrapped the scarf in under the edge of the veil descending from her hat, first seating a stylish set of sunglasses on her nose; then leaned back in the seat - in preparation for the burst of speed she expected Huber would produce.

The automatic gate to the underground garage opened without a murmur of trouble when the speeder smoothly pulled to the marked line. Laisa didn't see any so-called 'visitors' waiting outside; she'd been bothered by the paparazzi and gossip reporters for weeks before her engagement had been announced; the surveillance had slacked some; apparently after some pressure from the Residence press office; but the freelance vidographers were a constant miasma around her.

There didn't seem to be any on the street at her building just now - there was one semi-obnoxious gal who always wore hideous outfits, to draw attention and so Laisa's gaze. She was missing, to Laisa's surprise.

Huber tipped his cap at one of the obvious security cameras, and did an energetic curve off the ramp onto the street.

"Took a bit to get some privacy; Two of the bugs had a little fight, so the patrollers had reason to take 'em all away. They'll be out, most of them by midnight, but we've got a few hours without extra eyeballs."

"Had a fight? or Impsec arranged a fight?"

"Well, Impsec pays for vids, so who's to say who gave any orders, ain't it?"

Laisa reflected, Impsec can hide a lots of surveillance in the paparazzi - and have someone else fund the effort. It had to have been one of Simon's ideas; sneaky, effective - and cheap.

Huber took several quick turns in the narrow streets close to her building; then cut onto a major street to speed across town. Laisa took an interest in any obvious signs they were being escorted; nothing obvious caught her eye, except that there seemed to be more than the usual number of patrol cars on the street. At the pace Huber was driving, any following vehicles would have been obvious; as he constantly cut across lanes of traffic; in a safe, controlled way, but there wasn't any fellow driver imitating his movements.

Of course, with the number of vid cameras on such a major thoroughfare, where they were was known to the decimeter, Laisa was certain, and any interruption would be interrupted in seconds, with certainty.

Huber headed north, taking a less-obvious path that ended in a cul-de-sac loading bay at the less-public side of one of the more luxurious shopping malls in Vorbarr Sultana. Just after Huber pulled in, a large and long delivery van pulled in to block access to most of the loading bay; the driver stayed in the cab, attention fixed on his paperwork. The little speeder was invisible from the outer roads surrounding the mall - "Here we are, all safe, secure, and as private as you'd like. Hope I didn't scare you, M'Lady." Huber touched the brim of his cap; "If you'll take the center door there; someone'll escort you in."

Unbuckling her safety belt, Laisa smiled at the Armsman; "You did a wonderful job getting here; you did a masterful job of beating traffic; It was a bit of a thrill, as you cut through traffic." Laisa unwrapped the scarf from her face; "I'm expected inside?"

"Yes, M'Lady - HE's expecting you'" She could hear the capital letters in his sentence.

There was one regular door next to the large truck doors, with a short stair leading up to it. Adjusting her hat and handbag, she climbed the short set of stairs, the door opening just as she was reaching for the knob. Inside was another Armsman; one she knew well - Gerard - who smiled welcome. "If you please, M'Lady, he's waiting inside."


	2. Browsing the Mall.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A perq of being important.

Gerald held the door open as Laisa entered. She turned just as she went thru the door; Henri was seated in the car, reading his tablet. The forecourt was quiet.

Gerald pulled the door shut, and gestured to her to continue down the small hallway. Looking thru an opening, she looked into a large room, filled with castered garment racks; different styles, sizes, and colors made the room a blur of colors and fabric. She recalled sneaking into the back rooms of department stores when she was younger, on dares from, and made to, her friends. The staff would chase them out, making many threats to them; but they never got into real trouble.

Down the hall, with Gerard at her side, she took a quick corner to enter the main body of the store. It was quieter than she was used to - the normal low roar during the day wasn't present; this made the space seen special; almost sacred the way the cathedrals and churches she's visited on Escobar and old Earth had been. There was a low hum from the air circulators, and an occasional buzz from a ceiling lamp, but quiet.

A few meters away Gregor was talking quietly with a salesperson - senior staff, from his dress and posture. They were examining a stack of waistcoats; in different styles and types of fabric. Gregor was feeling the texture of the waistcoat; a textured linen, to Laisa's eye. Gregor finally made a stack of four waistcoats, in different colors, and handed them to the Store manager. "I'll take these, and the socks. Gerard will settle with you, as usual."

"Sir." was the reply, with a short bob of his head from the manager.

Gregor straightened, turning to look at Laisa. his face brightened into a smile as she glided the few meters to him. "Darling." was all he said as they embraced. After a delicious kiss, Gregor eyed her carefully. "it's nice to know I'm more important than your laundry." His eyes said jest, as his face stayed silent.

"Well, it won't do itself - not on my budget. I don't have a dozen people on call to do the laundry - yet."

"A dozen? More like a double dozen, and the soap bills to match. Last week I paid more money than I thought possible to repair four industrial dryers and steam presses. Not to mention new drive belts for three mangles, whatever they are. Keeping the residence running is more work than I ever thought.

What are mangles, anyway? If it was a cost memo from Simon, or General Allegre, for some odd Impsec thingy, I'd understand. But from housekeeping?"

"A mangle is a big, industrial clothes pressing machine. My uncle, Vale, makes them for starliners, and big hotels back on Komarr. Didn't you ever snoop around the Residence when you were a kid; exploring everywhere?"

"Ah - sometimes. I don't know if I found the laundry section; I was usually looking for the kitchen or pantry; or for the hidden tunnels for the servants - and escapes. Miles, Ivan, Elena and I drove Simon crazy disappearing into the walls. Got Lady Alys mad at us several times when we popped up from a floor grate into the middle of one of her parties. A boy emperor shouldn't climb out of a hole in the floor and upset the Ambassadress from New Brunswick.

Or so she said, at length, the next day. I had to write an apology letter to her as punishment. Aunt Cordelia thought it was wonderful; I got extra cookies before bed that night." Gregor smiled with a distant look on his face; Laisa could see he enjoyed the memory.

"Anyway, thanks for coming. I guess now that we're engaged, I should get a suite of rooms sorted for you, so you can start living with me, hmm?" He stole a little kiss with that thought.

"Ah... not just yet. Lady Alys may have some words to say about that; upsetting her is a bad move, I think. she's given me some tips and hints on what i can an can't do; to keep the 'Vor Ladies' happy. Anyway, why did you ask me here tonight? the mall seems... empty." Gregor grinned a bit "Have you ever wanted to have a shopping mall all to yourself, and a polyspectrum credit card? Well, that's close to what's happening tonight. Once a quarter, the Mall closes early - they say it's for maintenance and such, but it's really to allow a select list of guests to shop with peace an privacy. It takes a lot to get on the list.. but I'm a bit of a special case. You are too, now."

"The Mall - all to ourselves?"

"Not totally to ourselves. I think they're about fifty customers here now; Vid stars, politicians, the really wealthy, some diplomats, other people who get followed everywhere by the Vidsnippers. If you aren't on the list; you can't come in. It's quiet tonight; but this happened last month, just before Winterfair; it was full of shoppers who usually can't go out to shop with all the paparazzi trailing them." Gregor grimaced. "Celebrities are regular people under all the publicity; I can have a private life inside the Residence; but some new singer, top of the charts... well, it takes a bit for them to adapt to living in the open twenty-seven hours a day, seven days a week. The mall closing just for them helps them cope."

Laisa felt a surge of sympathy for herself, and the other popular faces in the gossip mags. It touched her, inside, at what she'd lost, by saying 'Yes' to Gregor - how she - and those others - were now exposed to the world. On Komarr, growing up, she'd seen her face on the cover pages of gossip blogs - but she hadn't had to sneak to have privacy. Her parents had smiled and stood still at the big festival parties, when the vid snappers had filled up their megabyte chips with bland snaps; she'd learned to do the same; but no-one had every followed her to the grocery to catch her sorting thru the bananas. 

Gregor stiffened, seeing a change sweep across her face. "You OK?" 

"Ah... it hit me, finally, what's really happening to me, now we're engaged. I've become public property, haven't I? People will want to see me choosing avocados at the greengrocer; I'm visible now, aren't' I."

"Yes; you're in the public domain now. I've never been out of the public eye, except during Vordarien's revolt, and a few months wen I was twenty-five... It's hard. my love; but together we can do it." Gregor slid his arm around her waist, giving her a little hug. "We can borrow houses and cabins from Counts; deep in their districts; where they have privacy. Count Aral - the Regent - lets me go to his place on the long lake whenever I choose; Counts Vorhalas and Vorpatril are happy for me to do the same with their private homes in their districts. Down on south continent, the military has several VIP cabins inside the training ranges; available anytime I want to go... After all, they're mine, technically." 

"But tonight; we've got the mall almost all to ourselves; every store happy to show us anything they've got; except in the the food court. They shut down and are really cleaning everything... seems the VBS Heath department always likes to do surprise inspections just after these special nights.... Can't imagine why." there was a twinkle in Gregor's eye when he said that.


End file.
